Living and Working in Tokyo

INTERNATIONAL ARCHITECTURE STUDENT COMPETITION

ARCHsharing

INTRODUCTION

Japan capital city is located on its main island: Honshu. With 23 districts and 13
million inhabitants, it forms one of the most populous megalopolis in the world.
Despite its high density, it has not know a generalized vertical development as
some large megacities such New York City, Hong Kong or Shanghai. Indeed, it
has kept, in its center and neighborhoods, areas that look like small villages with
narrow streets and smaller buildings.

Tokyo is characterized by an extent of individual constructions interspersed by

large avenues with high-rise buildings. Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, of Bow-Wow Agency,
when theorizing Tokyo urban planning, defines three different developments
in the formation of the urban fabric: «fortified village», «subdivurban» and
«commersidence».

Fortified Village:
Tokyo has experienced devastating fires which spread easily due to wooden
buildings. To prevent fires from spreading, avenues wider than 30 meters with an
alignment of buildings higher then 10 floors were created to enclose these areas
and serve as a firewall.

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Subdivurban:
This association of subdivided and suburban
characterizes the transformation of Tokyo’s
r esidential areas for the last 80 years. The
inheritance tax is very expensive, so families
divide their land to pay for it. Consequently plots
become smaller and smaller at each generation.
This induces a densification of the urban fabric.
Today, several generations of individual houses
are observable.
Commersidence:
T his corresponds to a typology combining
shopping, living and working. These non planned
neighborhoods were created from a residential
f abric where houses were transformed into
businesses. Japanese culture has integrated the
concept of destruction and reconstruction due
to cultural and environmental factors. Thus, the
average lifespan of a Japanese house is about 30
years. Tokyo is formed and reformed constantly
over time. This perpetual renewal makes the
Japanese capital city the testing and innovation
ground for architecture.architecturale.
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PROPOSAL
​
In this context, ARCHsharing invites participants
to work on a small scale project in Omotesando
district, where businesses came to interact with
the existing residential structure. The plot with
modest dimensions will host a mixed program
linking home and workspace areas.
The proposal will take into account the cyclical
renewal of Japanese buildings. A sustainable
architecture that adapts easily or renews to the
rhythm of generations and environmental factors
will be appreciated.
Tokyo hosts a strong desire to develop a line
of thought on habitat. The many remarkable
constructions of individual housing, or the last
two exhibitions «House Vision» in 2013 and 2016,
attest to this common interest. Tokyo, through its
constant transformations, calls on us to reflect on
tomorrow’s challenges. It is in this dynamics that
ARCHsharing invites you to imagine the housing
of tomorrow.
 OM
OT
ES
AN
DO

SITE
​
The proposed site for the competition is in the
emblematic district of Omotesando in Tokyo.
Best known for its large avenue punctuated
by achievements from renowned architects for
luxury brands like Dior, Louis Vuitton or Prada,
the area is also the haunt of young designers.
I ndeed, behind this great avenue there is a
residential and commercial area that looks like a
small village. With its changing urban fabric, this
district is comparable to the «Commersidence»
kind evoked by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, where the
arrival of shops bring energy to the area.

The plot chosen for the competition is currently

a car park at 5 Chome -11 Jingumae, Shibuya,
Tokyo. PARCELLE

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 1 .4

7 .1
2.8
5.6

4.2
Dimensions:

length 1 = 5,6m length 2 = 7,1m

width = 4,2m height = 7,5m

PROGRAMME ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

The written curriculum is an indication to guide

- Workspace....................................................25m
-Day area.......................................................25m2
- Bedrooms.....................................................25m2
2
students. It is not mandatory to precisely follow
the surface indications. The jury will evaluate
the projects according to the quality of several
criteria:
- The relationship between the workspace, living
space and the city. The workspace can be an
office, an artist’s studio, a young designer store
and many more besides.

- Creativity and functionality of the housing

- Bathroom.....................................................10m2 unit. This is an accommodation for 3 persons.
These can be family, friends or even strangers.
I nnovative proposals in the way of life are
Total...............85m2 e xpected.

- The sustainability of the project. Energy saving,

-Outside area....................................................9m2 materiality, independent living system and other
innovative solutions. Everything that meets the
environmental goal.

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CALENDAR

15 of November 2016 to 14 of January 2017 Special registration

15 of January 2017 to 14 of March 2017 Normal registration

15 of March 2017 to 16 of April 2017 Late registration

20 of April 2017 à 23 :59 (utc/gtm+2) Submission dead line

05 of May 2017 Jury deliberation

15 of May 2017 Winner announcement

15 of july 2017 Publication

ELEGIBILITY Honorable Mentions:

Registration is open to all students of schools Subscription AA magazine.

and universities in relation with architecture. Publication in Atlas of Innovation .
A n official document will be asked during Exposition.
registration (student card, Registration Form…).

PUBLICATION
Following the comments of the jury, ARCHsharing
will publish a book named Atlas of Innovation,
listing the innovative projects selected. This
publication aims at sharing and spreading the
ideas of students worldwide. An inspiration
on a specific theme for architects of today and
tomorrow.
PRIZES
JURY
The jury members were selected based on the
interest, inherent to their work agency, to the
subject of the contest. The jury is composed of
architects of different nationalities, each bringing
his or her own experience.
Les membres du jury:
- Xavier Ros. Co-founder of HARQUITECTES.
Agency. Discover his job on www.harquitectes.
com.

First prizes : - Dikkie Scipio. Co-founder of KAAN

A RCHITECTEN Agency. Discover his job on
1st prix 1500€ w ww.kaanarchitecten.com.
2nd prix 1000€
- Takeshi Hosaka. Founder of TAKESHI HOSAKA
3rd prix 500€ A RCHITECTS. Discover his job on www.
+ hosakatakeshi.com.
*Jury members have given their consent for their participation on May 5, 2017.
However, their participation is subject to their professional constraints that
Publication in Atlas of Innovation . may lead to a modification of the jury.
Exposition.

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REGISTRATION FEES ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special registration 40€
We would like to thank the jury members and our
Standard registration 60€ partners, withouth whom this competition would
not have been possible.
Late registration 80€
Our partners:

DOCUMENTS

Deliverables:

Participants will submit two types of documents.

One panel, A1 size, (landscape or portrait), and
one explanatory notice, A4 size.
The A1 panel shall contain all graphical elements
n eeded for a proper understanding of the
project. Any kind of representation is accepted
(plan, section, 3D, axonometry, models, …).
Files must be JPG format and no bigger than
10 Mo. File names will follow this template:
TEAMCODE_A1_LWT (example: ACS_A1_LWT).
Explanatory notice will be clear and concise, no
longer than one A4 page. Font shall be Arial 12.
N otice file name shall follow this template:
TEAMCODE_A4_LWT (example: ACS_A4_LWT).

Important:

Documents shall be submitted to this e-mail

address:

contact.archsharing@gmail.com

Submission deadline is 20 April 2017 at 23 :59

( UTC/GTM+2, Paris).

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
R egistering to the LWT competition implies
tranferring an unlimited right of use, distribution,
publication and communication of all submitted
m aterial to ARCHsharing. Should any material
b e further used, distributed, published or
c ommunicated by ARCHsharing, the authors’
n ames shall be mentioned.

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